 "Trump says he has 'canceled second wave of attacks' on Venezuela after release of political prisoners")
US President Donald Trump said he has cancelled a previously planned second wave of attacks on Venezuela after the country began releasing what he described as “large numbers” of political prisoners, calling the move a sign of “seeking peace”.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said the US and Venezuela were working well together, particularly on rebuilding the Latin American nation’s oil and gas infrastructure. He said this cooperation led him to cancel the expected second wave of attacks, though US ships would remain in place for safety and security reasons.
“Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of ‘seeking peace’. This is a very important and smart gesture,” Trump wrote, adding that the attacks now appeared unnecessary.
Trump also said he would meet major oil companies at the White House, claiming that big oil firms planned to invest at least $100 billion in Venezuelan oil. According to NBC News, the heads of Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are expected to attend the meeting. Chevron is currently the only US company with a licence to operate in Venezuela.
His remarks come amid heightened US pressure on Venezuela following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and a series of US interceptions of Venezuelan-linked oil tankers. The Trump administration has repeatedly said it is effectively running Venezuela, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright stating that Washington would control the country’s oil industry “indefinitely”.
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View AllVenezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy, said her government remains in charge. The state-run oil company has said it is in negotiations with the US over oil sales.
Venezuela on Thursday released several imprisoned high-profile opposition figures, activists and journalists, describing the move as a gesture to “seek peace”. The release came less than a week after Maduro was captured by US forces to face drug trafficking charges.
Trump later praised the acting Venezuelan government in an interview with Fox News, saying it had met US demands. Jorge Rodríguez, head of Venezuela’s National Assembly and brother of the interim president, said a “significant number” of detainees would be freed, though the exact figure remained unclear.
The US government and Venezuela’s opposition have long called for the release of jailed politicians, critics and civil society members, while the Venezuelan government maintains that it does not hold political prisoners.
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